TFT LCD Shipments for Automotive Applications Indicate Strong Rebound

SANTA CLARA, Calif., October 26, 2010Shipments of TFT
LCDs for portable navigation devices (PND) and automotive monitors
(used in car navigation and in-console monitors) increased in the
second half of 2009 and first half of 2010. This indicates that the
automotive market has rebounded since the economic crisis of 2008.
According to the latest DisplaySearch
Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report, TFT
LCD shipments rebounded from Q309 as a result of automotive sales
driven by government tax deductions and subsidies. In addition,
demand for automotive displays has grown in China and emerging
regions.

In the first half of 2010, TFT LCD shipments for automotive
monitor applications were more than twice the levels of the first
half of 2009. Specifically, shipment growth was 143% Y/Y from Q109
to Q110 and 125% Y/Y from Q209 to Q210. TFT LCD shipments for
portable navigation devices also experienced a strong rebound in
the first half of 2010, up 72% Y/Y from Q109 and 96% Y/Y in Q210.
Strong growth is forecast for the second half of 2010 in both
segments.

The forecasted growth in navigation and GPS in the automotive
market presents significant opportunities for TFT LCD manufacturers
in the near future, noted
Hiroshi Hayase, lead analyst for small and medium displays. In
addition, the emergence of hybrid and electric cars is driving
demand for energy-efficient automotive monitors that support energy
efficiency and safety efforts.

According to DisplaySearch results, 70% of TFT LCD automotive
monitors are produced by Japanese LCD manufacturers, while 60% of
TFT LCD portable navigation devices are from Taiwan LCD
manufacturers. The demand for automotive displays has had a
positive effect on manufacturers in these regions. For example,
Japanese manufacturers of automotive displays have been operating
at full capacity in 2010, and some car navigation products have
been delayed due to the tight supply of automotive TFT LCDs.

The market outlook for automotive and PND TFT-LCD shipments is
covered in the DisplaySearch
Quarterly Small/Medium Shipment and Forecast Report, which
provides results of all FPD shipments for the automotive market,
including automotive monitor LCD and PND LCD shipments. The report
also tracks shipments of all flat panel display technologies such
as TFT LCD, PM LCD, AM, PM OLED and EPD for all applications using
FPDs up to 9.0. EPD reporting also includes displays for e-books
over 9, including market share of e-books by size and resolution.
The report also provides comparisons between applications,
suppliers, size, resolution and pricing for FPD technologies using
panels that are 9.0 or smaller. This report is delivered in
PowerPoint and includes Excel pivot tables.

In addition, DisplaySearch has released the 2010 edition of its
Automotive Displays Report. This comprehensive report
contains detailed historical and forecast data for all displays
used in automobiles, including navigation displays, monitors, and
in console displays. Display technologies covered include LCD
(liquid crystal display) broken down into TFT (both
amorphous-silicon and low temperature polysilicon), passive matrix,
twisted nematic, vertical alignment, super twisted nematic (both
monochrome and color), as well as OLED (organic electroluminescent
display), both passive and active matrix. The report includes
automotive and PND display shipments by supplier, as well as value
chain information for each application. Forecasts of the automotive
display market by screen size through 2014 are also included.